3 Answers
3

Dr. Meshulam Margaliot points out that Midrashic tradition is divided about what was written on which tablet. The options seem to be:

1–5 on one and 6–10 on the other. (This is the tradition interpretation that is most common in art and synagoguedecoration.)

All 10 on each tablet.

Even numbered on one and odd on the other (as suggested by Mike Bull), does not seem to be a Jewish interpretation represented in the Midrash. The commandments have traditionally been paired 1 and 6, 2 and 7, etc.

The tablets themselves were likely to be fairly large1, so there would have been plenty of room to write all ten commandments on each one, if the Lord chose to do so. In fact, there was likely room for the commandments that follow the ones listed in Exodus 20 (and Deuteronomy 5). Therefore, there's no particular reason to split the commandments across the tablets at all.

We do, however know of a good reason to suspect both tablets contained the same text:

Having journeyed from Rephidim, they entered the wilderness of Sinai and encamped in the wilderness. Israel encamped there in front of the mountain, and Moses went up to God. The Lord called to him from the mountain, saying, “Thus shall you say to the house of Jacob and declare to the children of Israel: ‘You have seen what I did to the Egyptians, how I bore you on eagles’ wings and brought you to Me. Now then, if you will obey Me faithfully and keep My covenant, you shall be My treasured possession among all the peoples. Indeed, all the earth is Mine, but you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words that you shall speak to the children of Israel.”—Exodus 19:2-6 (NJPS)

God is entering into a suzerain/vassal agreement with Israel and the Ten Commandments were the terms and conditions of that treaty. As with other legal documents, both sides would get a copy of such an agreement. Clearly God's copy would be stored in the Ark of the Covenant, which was stored in the presence of God. Dr. Margaliot explains further:

But what about the Israelite's copy, on the second Tablet, where was that copy placed? Here we note a common practice in the ancient Near East. When a treaty was made between parties of unequal status, the lesser partner, or vassal, would place his copy of the pact in the temple of his god, the reason being that the vassal had then to take an oath in the name of his god to "the great king." (See Ez. 17:11-19. The reference here is to the king of the Hittites, who made treaties with the rulers of smaller kingdoms in northern Syria during the first half of the first millennium B.C.E. This custom, however, undoubtedly dates much further back.)

...

Since the Israelites had the status of vassal vis-à-vis G-d and were the lesser partners to the Covenant, it was reasonable for them to file their copy of the Pact in the Holy Ark of the Lord their G-d. Thus we conclude that both Tablets were placed together in the Ark in the Tabernacle, and later in Solomon's Temple: "There was nothing inside the Ark but the two tablets of stone which Moses placed there at Horeb, when the Lord made [a covenant] with the Israelites after their departure from the land of Egypt" (I Kings 8:9).

As Canaanites, the Hebrew people were surrounded by the great Egyptian and Hittite civilizations. As it turns out, copies of a peace treaty between those rivals have survived to this day:

Each copy has nearly identical language and binds each nation to various obligations. It was witnessed by each side's gods and contained blessings for keeping it and curses for breaking it. Very likely treaties similar to this one were the model (or type) of the covenant between God and His people.

Footnote:

According to the Babylonian Talmud:

The tablets were six handbreadths in length, six in breadth and three in thickness.—Bava Batra 14a.

That's wider and thicker than the props Cecil B. DeMille used, but about the same height.

Originally the tablets would have had squared-off tops; the rounded tablets mirror medieval wax tablets not ancient clay and stone tablets.

Surely it is more likely that God's Covenants were the models for pagan ones. The treaty structure can be traced in the text right back to early Genesis. God's word is a revelation more than it is a response. Also, the pairing I described above is replicated in many other places in Scripture, again, right back to early Genesis. It is the shape of biblical history. Interesting point about why it might be two copies, but this isn't supported by the fact that both tablets were kept in the Ark.
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Mike BullMar 7 '13 at 23:11

@Mike Bull: I've quoted a bit more of the article which addresses you final objection. As for which came first, it's hard to say. Genesis 1-2 itself seems to be polemic against the gods of Egypt and/or Babylon. However, since we are using different interpretive frameworks, it's not too surprising we get different answers. ;)
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Jon Ericson♦Mar 7 '13 at 23:53

Thanks John. There is still a difference here. The suzerain took his "original" away, and the vassal's copy was placed in the Temple. If the tablets were identical, why keep them in the same place? The idea that one is priestly and one is kingly (people) corresponds to all the dual witnesses in the Tabernacle, expressed at each "level," - Table (priest) and Lampstand (king) and then, in the Temple, the two pillars, priestly and kingly, which stood for the two trees in Eden. Thus, it is the same dual witness at various levels of "hiddenness." I like systems!
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Mike BullMar 8 '13 at 2:03

Firstly, they are "two witnesses" with a corroborated testimony (unlike the witnesses who accused Jesus, for instance). Because they agreed, those who swore to keep the Law could be punished, excommunicated, or executed for breaking it.

Some have tried to fit the ten words to the five-fold Covenant pattern found everywhere in the Torah (and beyond) but the best solution I have found is the one from Moshe Kline at www.chaver.com, a Jewish scholar who follows the "scroll" division of the commandments (as Augustine). This means that our first two are combined into one, and our last is divided into two. If we read the laws as the warp and weft in fabric, we have "Adamic" laws as 1 3 5 7 9 (odd numbers) and "Evian" laws as 2 4 6 8 10 (even numbers, multiples of two - the Bride always "multiplies":

Adam/Priest/Head - - - - - - - - - - - - Eve/People/Body

False Words from gods - - - - - - - - - - - - False words to God

Working the Land (Sabbath) - - - - - - - - - - - -Honoring Parents in the Land

So the structure works from above to beside to below (from God down to offspring, past to future), and it follows the fivefold Covenant pattern:

Transcendence (God)

Hierarchy (Man - these are the curses on Adam and Eve, land and womb)

Ethics (Sacrificial Law - notice that murder and adultery are strange knife and strange fire)

Sanctions (Blessings and curses when called to account by God)

Succession (offspring and the future - Adam as shelter - a tree of righteousness)

Then, left to right it is Adam - Eve - Adam - Eve, etc.

Finally, the words were written with the FINGER of God. Ten Words is ten fingers, two human hands, instruments of righteousness or unrighteousness. When Jesus broke bread, He would have used all ten fingers to tear it, picturing His imminent death under the curse of the Law.

"And Moses threw the tablets out of his hands..."

If the Adam/Eve priest/people idea is strange, it is simply the totus Christus. Also, the High Priest made two approaches to the Most Holy on the Day of Atonement, once for the priesthood and once for the people. We also see this in Abraham, who entered the land to sacrifice Isaac (firstfruits/priesthood) and then again to bury Sarah (offspring/people). It's everywhere - check it out in Daniel 7. We also see it in Jesus ascending into the cloud as "head" then four decades later returning "in like manner" for the sacrificial "body," the martyrs, fulfilling the vision in Daniel 7.

Let's not complicate the why of this. Remember how Jesus said that I give you 2 new commandments? One was to Love God and the other was to love people. He also stated that on these 2 hang all the law. In summary, He was simply saying, if you love me, obey these 4.(1st Tablet)
If you love others obey these 6.(2nd Tablet)

I'm very grateful for your participation here. We're a little different from a forum, so do take the site tour if you haven't already. Due to the nature of this site, references are required in order to support your conclusions.
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Paul VargasMay 22 at 21:51

How do you know they were divided onto the two tablets in that way?
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curiousdanniiMay 27 at 9:25